A Thin Red String called Fate
by YunaBlaze
Summary: New Year had arrived for the people on Gaia, celebration is called for in many different ways. A sequel of "The Endless Cycle". Oneshot.


**Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. Enjoy this New Year Story!**

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A Thin Red String called Fate

_What a dull weather..._ Cloud Strife thought sadly while looking out at the window at the grey snowy sky of this boring morning and snow covered the whole ground outside the Strife Delivery Service. He had been staring outside for at least two hours since he woke up at six o'clock.

The blond let out a heavy sigh before he jumped off of his bed, deciding to cook some breakfast before a certain silver hair devil come and annoy him to no end till he gets his delicious omelette. Of course, whenever he thought about one person he cared for, it always leaded to another person who he cared for more than his own life, but who was now not here, away, gone, busy...

While cooking a small breakfast for himself and for the still sleeping occupant of the house, the sapphire eyes turned towards the calendar hang next to the fridge where his brother, Kadaj, had encircled today's date with a red marker, along a small star with a happy face. Gaia's Savior immediately turned his gaze back to the food he was cooking, feeling a sudden heavy weigh on his heart.

The young swordsman almost jumped out of his skin when someone screamed behind him, 'GOOD MORNING NII-SAN!'

The shout caused him to toss up the ready omelette into the air and, luckily, it fell right onto the plate next to the pan. Letting out a relived breath, the blond turned and looked at Kadaj who looked at him innocently, as in the I-didn't-do-it-on-purpose-but-it's-too-fun-to-resist type of look.

'Kadaj Novia, I thought I had warned you more than once that _you cannot enter this kitchen and disturb me when I'm cooking_,' said Cloud in a menacing tone as his blue color of his eyes are slowly turning into a green hue due to the large amount of the Lifestream running inside of his body, but the silver hair teen had completely ignored him and went to help himself with the almost ruined omelette. 'Are you listening?!'

'Of course I'm listening,' replied the silver hair boy with his mouthful. 'But you say I could come into the kitchen when I'm hungry!'

'That doesn't mean you can come in when I'm cooking! At least Moon knew better than to bother when I am in the kitchen,' the blond told the boy exasperatedly and sat down on the nearest chair, his light features had darkened slightly at the mention of his lover's name.

'Nii-san you don't need to worry, Genesis is going to come back for tonight. After all, it is the first time that we celebrate New Year together,' said Kadaj, but it didn't really comfort the blond hair swordsman one bit.

'The weather is pretty dull now, isn't it Kadaj?' Cloud asked almost casually as he stared out the window, the silver hair teen nodded his head. 'When I was still at Nibelheim, mother always warned me not to go outside in times similar to this, because the weather will soon get worse. The calm before the storm...'

_I knew I shouldn't have let him handle that package._ Gaia's Champion silently thought as he remembered yesterday a little girl came to ask them to bring a small package to her father at the Icicle Inn in the Northern Continent. Moon had immediately accepted the request and told the child that he will immediately deliver it.

He had told the auburn hair man that the weather is going to get worse very soon and he might not able to make it back for the New Year, but his lover only smiled at him and promised him that he'll make back before the clock started counting down the twelve strokes to midnight before he left.

_Please come home... Please Moon... _Cloud prayed as the wind started to blow harder and howl louder.

***

Later that day on the other side of the ocean, at the new orphanage of Nibelheim, Rayne Strife taught and watched the small children how to make some gingerbread cookies for the New Year, each took the ingredients and shapes they preferred the most.

'Oh I wish Cloud was here,' the blond hair woman said gently as she pulled out a tray of hot baked star-shaped biscuits and carefully put them into a small basket filled with different shapes of baked treats. 'He always loved making gingerbreads for dessert.'

When Rayne had finished, she looked up to see Sephiroth, in a white sweater and black leather pant, standing next to window, his face was emotionless, but his eyes shone certain sadness in them. Worried, Cloud's mother quietly made her to the once General of Shira and asked, 'Are you alright Sephiroth?'

'Euh... Yes, Mrs. Strife. I am quite find, don't worry,' replied the silver hair man unsurely.

'Is something wrong? Are you not feeling well?' Rayne asked when she saw the slits of the unnatural green eyes started to narrow and expand at the same time.

'No, I'm alright. It's Cloud's and Kadaj's feeling are little too overwhelming for me to handle,' Sephiroth answered with a small tired smile. 'Both of them seemed a little upset today.'

'Is Cloud or Kadaj sick?' The woman in her late forties asked, concerned for the health of her son and adopted child. 'Maybe I should call Mrs. Gainsbourough to check on them.'

'They are ill in any sort of way Mrs. Strife. Cloud was simply sad because Genesis hasn't yet come back from his delivery and the storm near Edge was getting stronger, so he was simply worry that Genesis might make back in time. And Kadaj is always easily influenced by his feelings,' explained Sephiroth who seemed to have regain his control over his own emotions.

'Oh I see,' Rayne sighed in relieved before her bright smile was back on her face. 'Cloud really needs to learn that he doesn't need to worry too much, because I don't think his lover is going to break a promise right after he came back from the dead. After all, my husband had pretty much learned that I am not a kind-and-gentle-sheep when he broke a promise and had to spend a whole week to make up for me before he could even propose to me.'

The silver hair swordsman chuckled lightly as both of them went back to the kitchen to finish baking the cookies before they brought them to the children who were sitting next to the fireplace and eager to hear an interesting and adventurous story from their guardians.

***

At Rocket Town, things are more agitated than at Nibelheim in one of the small house, the neighbors around it had to put the volume of their music into maximum to cover the loud shouting and cursing of an angry pilot and juvenile ninja.

'JUST PAY UP THE PRICE YOU OLD GOAT!' the short black hair teen, who called herself "The Amazing Ninja Thieve Yuffie Kusaragi", shouted on top of her lungs as she jumped up and down on her chair, throwing play cards in the air. 'I WON THE GAME FAIR AND SQUARE!'

'SHUT IT YOU COCKY BRAT! YOU STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN ME BACK MY MATERIAS THAT YOU HAD STOLEN LAST WEEK!' the blond hair pilot shouted angrily as he slammed his fist on the table, his smoking cigar in between his teeth.

Two sighs was made instantaneously from the other two occupants of the house. Vincent Valentine was not a man who enjoyed very much of any kind celebrations, because they often brought a lot of noises that lead to troubles with a capital T. Shera, who had long brown hair and wore thick glasses, was used to the dramatic reactions of the old pilot, being his friend and part-time engineer scientist for so long, but even the most patient person on Gaia had his own limits.

The raven hair man knew he should have gone back to the orphanage instead of accepting the pestering invitation of Cid, now he is stuck here and had to endure the loud and long arguments filled with all the foul words there are in the world. The demons inside his head aren't exactly helping at all, because three of them are complaining at the ridiculous noises that the old pilot was making.

'Do you want some tea, Mr. Valentine?' the engineer asked kindly, giving him a small sympathetic smile.

'Oh, thank you,' Vincent replied as the woman poured him another cup of tea, which is the only thing that prevented him from giving in to his beastly instincts and killed those two childish idiots. 'It is definitely a wonder that you are able to survive for years from his... insane bickering.'

'Well, it's easy for me to endure all his cursing after spending seven years with him. He is just like my previous employers, but Cid cares for me more than they do, so I don't mind him shouting or insulting me. After all, I owe him my life,' answered Shera before she told the silent man what had happened that made her stay with this short-tempered man.

Both of them had completely ignored the fact that Cid and Yuffie are practically killing each other with their own weapon. Not that Vincent's demons mind very much, in fact they now found the two quite amusing.

For the outsiders, when they saw the way these four are spending the New Year, they'll say that it is not the most prefect celebration that one could ask for.

***

At southern part of Gaia, people are laughing and dancing in the square of the small Banora Village, celebrating the approaching New Year with passion, but there is a small group who decided to spend it inside the house rather than joining the party with the other villagers.

'Thank you for your warm hospitality, Mrs. Hewley,' said Bugenhagen with a small bow. The elder had been staying at Angeal's house with Nanaki to study the earthy ground of Banora and the hidden Shine of Gaia deep inside the nearby closed mining cave, hoping to uncover more of the mysteries that surrounded the Lifestreams and the planet.

'I'm glad we could help you. It is great to have more company to spent New Year with,' Gillian told the elder of Cosmos Canyon. 'Everyone was so busy with their own business that we couldn't possibly celebrate together this year.'

'I prefer to give Genesis and Cloud, the chance to spent New Year alone than to... interrupt their _private_ moment,' Angeal said with certain light humor in his voice, making the two elders in the house to hide their smile behind their hand. 'And I am certain that Kadaj will make sure of that. I just hope he won't go to the extreme measures for it.'

'I really don't see why Genesis likes Cloud. He is just as powerful as he does, what makes him so special?' Weiss murmured unhappily, drawing the attention of others. 'And he looks weak, almost like girl he didn't walk around with his swords.'

'Ah, but you shouldn't judge Cloud by his appearances or strength,' the red lion said wisely, taking a small bite from his steak as his red flame tail swung side to side in the air. 'True, he was just as powerful as Genesis now, but he is still young and his power still has time to grow. Though what truly make him special were his soul and his heart. He would listen to everyone's trouble and had the ability to take their problems away unconsciously. He is more observant than I do, but he tends to be ignorant to certain things at some point.'

'So he is a trained psychologist,' retorted the white hair swordsman.

'I doubt he is one, brother,' the raven short hair man, Nero, said as he took a small sip of his own drink, a small smile formed on his face. 'He is... quite _innocent_ when he talks with me.'

'Oh, I would think twice before I said that, Nero. Kadaj tends to be very protective of his brother and would do _anything_ to make sure that Cloud won't be sad,' Nanaki warned the black hair boy when it saw a certain glint in those ruby red eyes that does not inspired any comfort.

'Even if that obsessive brat doesn't keep you away my dear brother, I doubt Strife would let you go near him enough for you place a kiss on his cheek,' snarled Weiss at the thought of his brother taking a liking to the strange blond.

'Ah, but I never said anything about liking him, brother. I simply mention that he is... interesting to speak with and had an innocent air around him even though he has many blood stains of the enemies on him,' Nero replied as he looked at his brother with a sadistic smile. 'But didn't you take a liking to Genesis when we first saw him?'

'That is a completely different thing. I admired his strength, not his body like you did with Strife,' the white hair swordsman retorted before he drank all the wine in his cup, his face immediately turned into a deeper red shade.

'Whatever you say brother, whatever you say brother,' the raven hair man whispered with hidden smile.

Angeal shook his head tiredly at the bickering of these two young men. He could never believe that Genesis and Cloud attracted more troubles now than they had when they had betrayed Shinra, but it looked like they did. At least, the problems aren't going to kill them.

The Ex-SOLDIER First Class silently prayed to whatever deities who are listening to him, hoping that his childhood friend was going to have a well-deserved peaceful life after all he had been through just be with Cloud.

***

'CHEEERRRS!' people yelled out loud inside the bar named Seventh Heaven in Midgar. Night had long arrived at their doorstep and so does the giant blizzard. The SOLDIERs, who are now called the World Regenesis Organization aka WRO agents, are drinking everything that Tifa Lockhart, the bartender and owner of the bar, had for them.

For five years, the WRO had done everything that is possible for them to achieve and was able to rebuild the broken city Midgar into the famous Edge of today. New energy sources are found by the AVALANCHE Commander Barret Wallace, former Shinra Employee Reeve Tuesti and Lazard Deusericus are deploying groups of agents all around the world to restore things that Shinra had destroyed, and Rufus Shinra had been working with Wutai's Leader Godo Kisaragi to keep the peace between the two nations.

'Tifa! We want five more packs here!' Kunsel shouted as his new helmet keep falling over his eyes. 'Man! They need to fix these helmets, this one keep falling on my head!'

'At least it hides your blushes from Tifa when you needed it bro,' Zack said loud enough for his friend to hear through the loud cheers.

'Oh shut up,' Kunsel snapped at Zack weakly as the said girl came to their table with a tray filled with bottles of beer. And just the young First Class said the metal visor of his helmet covered his burning red cheeks from the young lithe woman.

'Sorry keeping you waiting guys, I can't handle all of you at the same time, but at least you guys aren't causing as much troubles as the Turks do,' Tifa truthfully told the two SOLDIERs before she winked at them innocently. 'Your drinks are mine to pay tonight boys. So have fun!'

After the brunette had left them, Zack couldn't contain the laughter he had been holding back when he saw the reaction that Kunsel at the girl's flirting gestures, he could have sworn that there are some white smokes coming out through the small holes on the metal helmet his friend was wearing.

'ZACK!' a sweet voice called out and the raven hair SOLDIER immediately snapped his head up, looking around him in search for the owner of the voice.

His eyes spotted the owner of the voice near the counter, her long brown hair tied up in a pony tail, emerald green eyes shone just like the sun of spring, the beautiful young woman waved at him and quickly made her way to join his table.

'Hey Aeris! Still up with the new part-time job?' Zack greeted the brown hair girl as she sat down next to him.

Aeris had been working with Tifa for the past three weeks, because one of the part-time girls had taken a vacation to Costa del Sol. The young Ancient had gotten used to be with a crowd of people and was less fearful of things, which makes slightly scarier than people gave her credits for, because she could give one hell of a hit on someone's head with her metal staff if they ever thought of approaching her in any inappropriate ways.

'Yeah, it's great,' Aeris answered with a bright smile. 'I just got a call from Kadaj, he told me to tell you that he can't come to the party because Cloud was a little on edge since Genesis left for the Northern Continent and hadn't came back yet, so he'll be at home if you guys need him.'

'Oh alright, if I can't tease the little guy or chocobo-head, than I'll settle with the one next to me,' Zack said with a mischief toothy grin.

'I can hear you, you know!' Kunsel practically screamed at the spiky hair SOLDIER.

'Oh Tifa!' the mischief SOLDIER called out in sing-song, causing his best friend to cringe as his love-interest came. Aeris covered her giggles with both of her hands.

'What is it guys? You haven't even started with you drinks!' Tifa shouted over the loud noises around when she arrived at their table. The brunette was about to say something else, but she was cut off by a pair of lips over hers.

Zack's jaw hit the floor and Aeris gasped at the sight in front them, in fact everyone in the bar had gone quiet except for the music coming from the Hi-fis. Then Kunsel pulled himself away from the shocked and flushed girl before he shouted out-loud, 'TIFA! PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!'

Several boys in the bar had fallen from their seat by the sudden declaration, while Rude, the bald head Turk had turned a paler shade as he was holding a small letter he had written and was about to give it to Tifa who he had developed a small crush on over the five years.

The brunette snapped out her shocked state and looked at the SOLDIER before her with a smile before she slapped him on the face, a loud _whack_ echoed among the wall as some of the man's comrades winced at the sound.

'Aie, lucky ya didn't give your letter to the gal yet or ya will be the one receiving that, yo,' Reno commented in a low voice and Rude nodded mechanically.

'That's for stealing my first kiss!' Tifa started as she knelt down next to Kunsel who was rubbing his red cheek. 'And this,' she leaned over the helmet soldier and placed a small kiss over his lips. 'Is for slapping at you and I accept.'

'Huh? What did you say?' Kunsel asked, not grasping the words that the girl had said, because he was still winded by her slap.

The bartender rolled her eyes in exasperation as she yelled, 'I SAID I ACCEPT BEING YOUR GIRLFRIEND!'

Cheers and applauses erupted in the bar after a moment of silence, including several sobs from Tifa's secret admirers. The redhead Turk clapped on his sobbing partner's shoulder as he said, 'Well, there is always next year, maybe they'll break up the next New Year, yo.'

***

Meanwhile, Kadaj was curled up like a cat on the couch as he listened to the soft music coming from the old radio that his brother had found two years ago and had fixed it, while Cloud sat on the sofa next to the window, staring at the black night's blizzard.

Sky blue eyes darted to the old clock that was hanging on the wall of the kitchen, it indicated eleven forty. That meant there was only twenty minutes left before it is New Year and no sign of a winged man.

_He will keep his promise... He will keep his promise... He will keep his promise..._ Cloud had kept chanting these words in his mind for two hours, hoping that the planet heard his wish and helped Moon to come back home safely as Time continued its endless flow. Suddenly they heard a loud thud right above the head of the blond, where his room was, both swordsmen looked up, then they glanced at each other before they dashed towards the stairs and ran up.

When they reached Cloud's room, both of them were surprised to find Moon sitting on the floor, his head and shoulders are covered in snow, his black feathered wing quivering and the window behind him wide opened.

'Moon!' Cloud shouted in both surprised and relieved as he closed the window, to prevent any of them from freezing into ice Popsicle, and knelt down beside the auburn hair man who made a small laugh.

'The Goddess certainly likes to give me many difficult tasks,' Moon said in a ragged breath.

'Well, that's a pretty nice entrance you made Genesis!' Kadaj sneered angrily at the tired man on the floor. 'You made Nii-san worry you to death! I mean... you... argh!'

'Sorry for being late... again,' Moon added as an afterthought.

'Well, you always make grandiose entries in my life, so why would this one be any differences?' the blond hair swordsman said jokingly as he bushed off the snow over his lover's hair. 'I'm just glad you make back in time.'

'I could have come back sooner if I didn't have to wait for these,' the Ex-SOLDIER First Class muttered as he took out a small box from his coat, Cloud eyed it confusingly. 'Here take a look.'

The Savior of the planet took the box handed to him and opened the lid, his eyes widen as he stared at the item stored inside it. On deep blue velvet laid a silver plain band, he picked the ring up and examined it, finding some small writing on the inside of the ring.

'_Forever My Angel_,' Cloud and Moon said at the same time, sapphire blue eyes bore into the azure blue ones.

The auburn hair man smiled slightly as he pulled off his left red glove and held it up for the blond to see a golden ring around his ring finger. 'Would you forever be my angel?'

Cloud only smiled lightly in response as the winged man took the ring and slid it on his forth finger, then he rested his forehead against Moon's and said, 'How in Gaia's name could I refused an angel's demand?'

They were about to kiss on each other's lips when suddenly Kadaj waved his arms around in wide circles and shouting at them to stop. The blond glanced at his so-called brother with heated eyes, his lips are a thin tight line and his brows were slightly twitching in anger, his own aura was practically shouting curses at the silver hair teen.

'What?' Kadaj said in his not-very-innocent tone. 'You two can't kiss without the lines they said in those romance wedding movies. So,' the teen cleared his throat. 'Dearly beloved, do you in sickness and in health... umm... how did it go again?'

DONG!

The three men were startled by the sound, but they quickly recovered from their shock when they realized that it was the first stroke before midnight, before the arrival of the New Year.

DONG!

DONG!

Kadaj was pulling his hair off as he rummaged over his mind in search for the rest of the blessing sentence, while Cloud was saying his name in a low threatening tone that reserved a powerful hit that will render him unconscious and give him a concussion.

DONG!

DONG!

DONG!

DONG!

'Euh, dearly beloved, do you in sickness and in health... swear... to... umm...' the silver hair teen kept muttering the beginning of the blessing over and over again.

DONG!

DONG!

DONG!

'Kadaj Novia!' Moon said in a snarl, his patience wearing thin as Cloud's does.

DONG!

'Alright! Alright! Alright! Just kiss all that you want!' the petite silver hair teen said as he threw his arms in the air, giving up of remembering what the last remaining sentences of the blessing, and put his hands over his cat-like green eyes. 'I won't peek. Don't worry.'

Cloud and Moon didn't care if the silver hair teen was watching them, because they preferred feeling the other's lips than worrying about having a fainted audience as the last stroke was sounded. The blond snaked his arms around his lover as he was pushed against the floor, their mouths still locked in a passionate kiss.

DONG!

'Oh, I am out of here!' Kadaj declared as he stomped out of the room, leaving the two lovebirds alone on their own world and slammed the door shut behind him.

_Jealous, Kadaj?_ The silver hair teen heard someone asked in his mind, green eyes looked up to see a half-transparent Sephiroth standing in front of him.

'Nope, just annoy that they could be so grumpy when they are so needy,' Kadaj replied with a small scoff as his sensitive ears picked up the moaning sounds of his brother.

_We'll probably understand this behavior of theirs better when we find someone who we're interested of._ Sephiroth told the teen wisely before he vanished. _Happy New Year Kadaj._

'Yeah, Happy New Year,' Kadaj repeated with a small smirk as he walked into his room at the end of the corridor. 'HAPPY NEW YEAR!'

**

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If you say it's cheesy and all, I understand. And to be honest with you guys, I _don't_ and _can't_ do any sex scene, so sorry to disappoint some people! Please review, they are the best gifts a fanfic writer could ask for!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!


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